


Sash

by Womble1



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen, Jeff Tracy - Freeform, Memory box, Uniforms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29499657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Womble1/pseuds/Womble1
Summary: came about because I noticed that Jeff had a silver sash in the Zero X footage, so this is the emotional baggage to go with that
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Sash

Scott was being allowed out of the infirmary and finally back to his own room , although still under strict instructions to rest. To brighten up his view, Gordon and Alan had picked up a vintage light box lamp, which they planned to put different “motivational” phrases on each day to cheer Scotty up. Or at least that is how they were selling it to Virgil.

“He’ll love it!” they shouted in unison, bobbing on their toes whilst hemming Virgil in from either side. Since escape was impossible he figured he might as well ask.

“OK, but what does this have to do with me?” He had been quite happily reading an interesting engineering article and could already feel himself forgetting which paragraph he had got up to. 

“We can't find a plug socket for it” said Gordon, waving the archaic mains connection in front of his brother. “Well, we can, but it's behind furniture, and it's heavy, and you told me not to lift anything….” Gordon was wheedling now, adding in a little overly theatrical back rubbing to seal the deal. 

Virgil huffed, and begrudgingly got to his feet. “OK, make it quick, and cut the dramatics, it's not Oscars season.” Gordon sprang forward to lead the way, he had got away with only a slightly jarred back, unlike captain concussion who had been cooped up for 48 hours in the infirmary. Virgil had just about got all the dents out of the POD, but the jokes about Scott's driving would hang around for much longer.

As the three of them arrived at Scotts room, which was thankfully still free of its owner, the younger two gestured towards a substantial double chest of drawers near the door.

“Come on muscles, do your thing!” chivied Gordon, butting their shoulders together. 

“I’m flattered that you think I can move that on my own, but I’m going to need a bit of help. Alan, look alive” 

“Awwwh man!” Alan visibly wilted next to the solid piece of furniture. A little more moaning and Alan was cajoled to one end, with Virgil at the other.

“On three! One, two, - THREE!” one end raised slightly “Alan,did you even move? Lift with your knees” Virgil directed, still holding the drawers aloft.

“Why?!” Wailed Alan “My knees arent any stronger than my arms!” 

Virgil huffed and pivoted the drawers with Alan's end still parked on the floor, it wasn't very elegant, but it would give them enough space to get at the plug socket. He was about to lower it back down when something snagged on the bottom.

“Hey, can one of you see what's catching on this corner, I don't want to squash something important” his arms were starting to ache and it came out a little strained. If it turned out that Scott had a whole set of encyclopaedias stashed in here, he would be very unimpressed.

“Do we even want to know what Scott has stuffed down the back of his drawers?” Said Gordon, even as Alan was down on his knees reaching under the end Virgil was still holding up.

“”Eewwh, must you?” said Alan as he backed up pulling with him something loosely wrapped in t-shirt, there was a jingle of a buckle, and it felt a little like a climbing harness, after Gordon's comments Alan panicked and threw the bundle at his partner in crime. “ you take it!”

Gordon tugged at the corner of the fabric, a wicked grin on his face, as he caught sight of the item his smile dropped  
“...Oh”

“Oh?” asked Alan

“When you ladies are quite finished - Alan is it clear for me to put this down?!” Virgil was ashamed to admit he was breaking a sweat now. 

“Sorry, yes, all clear!”Alan scuttled out of the way and a resounding thud marked the furniture's final descent. Virgil plugged the novelty lamp in, illuminating the phrase Gordon and Alan had spelled out in black letter tiles “What kind of shorts do clouds wear? Thunderwear” It wasn’t Scott's usual style on home décor, but Virgil was sure he would put up with it, if only to humour the enthusiastic pair. And people said he was the patient one, Virgil always felt Scott's endless patience with his brother's attempts at humour was too often overlooked. In fact the pair were currently whispering suspiciously. 

“What?” He asked his brothers without even turning around, employing a technique used by parents and teachers across the globe to thoroughly unnerve them.

“Who says there's a what?” asked Gordon, sounding all kinds of guilty

“You do, by the whispering. It's a give away.” Virgil had swung the set of drawers back against the wall and came across to see what they were up to. In response Gordon held out the bundle of cloth, one side falling away to reveal the corner of a sky blue sash. “Oh”

“Yeah, I know, Oh” said Gordon

“What? Guys, what's with the ‘Oh’? And why’s it blue?” asked Alan

“Don't you remember?” Gordon asked “This was Scotts sash before… well before….before he took on the command role...when...well, yeah, you know Al” 

“When Scott stepped up after the accident, well the silver colour had been the field commander insignia, what Dad had worn” Virgil explained softly, seeing how the normally eloquent Gordon was struggling to string together anything coherent. 

“It took him quite a while to accept it,” he continued. “I think Grandma forced it through with a uniform upgrade in the end. I never knew he kept the old one, although I can see why he might, he’s just not normally one for the keepsakes” he let out a weak laugh “ guess that's why it was stuffed under here, can’t let his brothers see a chink in the Armor” he took the fabric out of Gordons hands and reverently folded it neatly around the sash. 

“Let’s maybe not mention that we found this.” he pulled the bottom drawer out all of the way and laid it on the floor, revealing the void beneath. He then placed the rewrapped package in the dark space towards the back, making sure it was safely tucked out of the way and then returned the drawer, sealing it away from prying eyes. Virgil stayed knelt with his memories for a moment longer before taking a breath and purposely getting back up to his feet.

“So, how many of these ‘motivational quotes’ have you got lined up, and how many of them are going to land you in hot water with Grandma?” it was a weak excuse at humour, but they all clung to it for the lifeline that it was, and shuffled out of the room gainfully trying to maintain some level of banter to chase the gloom away. Thankfully Johns holographic form soon broke into their strained conversion to announce a “situation” and the subject was successfully shoved into storage once more. 

Although when Scott put on a particularly firm tone and asked Gordon and Alan what exactly they had been up to in his bedroom, he was shocked by how terrified they seemed. Maybe he had put it on a bit thick, he didn't really mind the stupid light box they had put in his room. If he was honest it had made him laugh, although he was sure the novelty would run out fairly soon. He had just intended to play up to the disciplinarian role a little, and hopefully make sure they didn’t barge into his room at all hours of the day under the pretext of changing the text on it. Maybe they were finally starting to respect his authority a little bit, or were just starting to mature a bit more. Who knew, he decided not to dwell on it too much, it probably wouldn't last anyway.

Virgil enlisted John's help and managed to dig out a photograph of Scott in his original International Rescue uniform, complete with pale blue sash. He popped a physical print of it into the memory box he maintained on behalf of his non sentimental brother. Partly it was because he was concerned that one day one of them would have a bash to the head that resulted in memory loss and he wanted to be prepared with lots of prompts. However, the fact that he was also a quote: “soppy bastard” (- thanks Gordon,) also played a part in it, but Virgil knew that Scott would probably thank him for it in the future. Looking back at the photo reminded Virgil of just how much of a bugger the pale colour had been for Scott to keep looking clean and presentable, maybe that had been a factor in the colour change after all, he was just glad they had ditched the bloody hats…..


End file.
